Leaded cut glass windows are no longer made to any great extent due to the limited market and the cost of labor. However, a recent market has developed due to the exclusivity of the product. As a consequence, it became desirable to find some less expensive means for manufacturing the product. Experiments demonstrated that a simulated product would be more suitable for modern construction and this invention is directed to the resulting simulated leaded cut glass window.
The expensive hand cutting and beveling of glass to get the proper distinctive appearance with the various reflecting facets at the different angles of the ground or beveled glass planes and the difficulty of uniform and air tight attachment of preformed zinc or lead cames as well as the time involved in manufacturing the "leaded" cut glass window all contribute to the production problems. By way of illustration, the patent to Lillethun, U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,903 issued Jan. 4, 1966 has provided metallic cames prefabricated to hold pieces of colored glass in an insulated stained glass window structure. In 1970 the patent to Ferron et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,320, disclosed a modification using cames of flexible resilient plastic material; again the cames being preformed in a generally H-shaped configuration. The esthetic effect in both cases is disappointing. Preforming the cames gives the window an appearance lacking in authenticity; consequently the products do not sell readily.
The structure described herein has solved this problem by beveling the edges of the glass pieces and bonding them together with a suitably colored epoxy resin and filler mixture which gives the appearance of an authentic antique leaded cut glass window, superior holding features and improved performance in providing an air impermeable glass panel.